Modern agricultural practices rely heavily on precise and timely applications of fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and other chemicals. In situations where the applications must be made to standing row crops, such as corn or beans, liquid or granular materials are often applied using a high ground clearance, self-propelled applicator.
In order to provide maximum ground clearance, such applicators utilize highly specialized suspension and propulsion systems for connecting the ground engaging wheels of the applicator to a frame of the applicator. Typically, separate hydraulic drive propulsion motors are provided as part of the suspension and propulsion units for each drive wheel, to thereby further enhance ground clearance by minimizing the encroachment of drive train or suspension components into the space between the wheels under the applicator.
Such high ground clearance applicators also typically provide some means for adjusting the track width of the wheels to match the row spacing of the crop being treated.
Routing hydraulic lines to the hydrostatic drive motors provides significant challenges. Because the applicators are large machines carrying heavy loads across uneven terrain, the suspension and drive units must be rugged, and typically require substantial volumes of high-pressure hydraulic fluid during operation. The suspension systems are also often configured to allow adjustment of the height of the applicator above the ground below the applicator.
Action of the suspension systems, the track-width adjustment systems and pivoting motion of steerable wheels of the applicator typically require the use of hoses for providing fluid communication between the hydrostatic drive motors and a source of the pressurized hydraulic fluid mounted to the frame of the applicator. These drive hoses are large, heavy and stiff, and do not lend themselves well to motions inherent in operating the applicator, such as pivoting left and right during steering, vertical movement of the suspension system, and horizontal movement of the track-width adjustment system.
It is a challenge for designers of self-propelled agricultural product applicators to provide an efficient and effective system and method for routing the drive hoses in a manner that keeps hose runs short and direct, while still accommodating all of the various necessary movements of the drive motors relative to the frame of the applicator. It is also a challenge to rout the hoses in a manner that does not result in having the hoses interfere with related mechanisms, such as steering linkages, fenders, tires, or with the crop passing by or under the applicator.
In the past, designers of self-propelled agricultural product applicators often resorted to long hoses, routed to form large or multiple loops of hose, to accommodate all of various motions attendant with operation of the applicator. While this approach has worked, it does not provide effective or efficient solutions to the challenges described above for routing ground drive hoses.
It is desirable, therefore to provide an improved system and method for routing ground drive hydrostatic hoses in a self-propelled agricultural product applicator.